Think Through {Math} Thursday

Congratulations to the Lesson Leaders and Point Leaders for this week. Thank you, students, for donating your points to Charities and toward your Classroom Goals.

Check back next week to see the new stats!

Think Through {Math} Thursday!

This week's top 5 Lesson Leaders are

• Wayside Middle School (7,699 lessons)
• Willow Creek Elementary (4,123 lessons)
• Ed Willkie Middle School (2,893 lessons)
• High Country Elementary (2,726 lessons)
• Gililland Elementary (2,681 lessons)  

The week's Point Leaders are

• Wayside Middle School (409K points)
• Saginaw Elementary (122K points)
• Willow Creek Elementary (101K points)
• High Country Elementary (99,994 points)
• Eagle Mountain Elementary (87,291 points)

Classroom Goals are set by individual teachers and classes. Students work together to earn enough points for the party and Think Through Math provides the gift card to pay for it.We currently have over 50 classes working toward a $50 pizza party (from Domino's, Pizza Hut, or Papa John's) or a $50 Walmart Party.

Charitable Giving: Students have the opportunity to donate their points to several different nationally recognized charities. A 10,000 point donation represents a $1 donation to a charity of the student's choice.

Currently, our students have donated

• $6 to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center
• $4 to the America Red Cross/Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund
• $4 to the Wounded Warrier Project
• $3 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• $3 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Check back next week to see the new stats!

Think Through {Math} Thursday!

Our 3rd-8th graders are getting excited about Think Through Math! Each Thursday we will post a list of the Lesson Leaders and Point Leaders of the week. We will also keep you up to date on the different Classroom Goals and the amount of actual money our students have donated to charities with Think Through Math.

This week's top 5 Lesson Leaders are

• Wayside Middle School (6,365 lessons)
• Willow Creek Elementary (3,687 lessons)
• Ed Willkie Middle School (2,666 lessons)
• Gililland Elementary (2,426 lessons)
• High Country Elementary (2,379 lessons)  

The week's Point Leaders are

• Wayside Middle School (367 K points)
• Remington Point Elementary (154 K points)
• Lake Pointe Elementary (130 K points)
• Saginaw Elementary (97,642 points)
• Eagle Mountain Elementary (88,885 points)

Classroom Goals are set by individual teachers and classes. Students work together to earn enough points for the party and Think Through Math provides the gift card to pay for it.We currently have over 50 classes working toward a $50 pizza party (from Domino's, Pizza Hut, or Papa John's) or a $50 Walmart Party.

Charitable Giving: Students have the opportunity to donate their points to several different nationally recognized charities. A 10,000 point donation represents a $1 donation to a charity of the student's choice.

Currently, our students have donated

• $6 to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center
• $3 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation
• $2 to the America Red Cross/Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund
• $2 to the Wounded Warrier Project
• $1 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• $1 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
• $1 to World Wildlife Fund

Check back next week to see the new stats!

FAQs: Email Outlook Web Access (OWA)

The following information is intended for Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Employees.Scroll down for answers to the following questions:

• How do I access my district email?
• Spell-check is not working in my email. How can I turn it on?
• My new emails and replies are showing up in the reading pane instead of in a new, pop-up window. How can I change that?
• When I create a new email or try to reply to an email, I do not see the "Send" button at the top. What should I do?

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How do I access my district email?

Outlook 2010 is a program that is already loaded on all district computers. This post provides directions on how to set it up the first time.

Many people prefer to log in to the Outlook Web Access (OWA), by using the Email link on the Employees section of the district website or by going directly to outlook.com/ems-isd.net. Users will need to enter their full email address and email password on this site.  

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Spell-check is not working in my email. How can I turn it on? 

Problem: Because most modern internet browsers have built-in spell check, Microsoft Outlook 365 no longer includes that in its email system. Elementary campuses in our district are still using XP Operating System, which does not support the latest Internet Explorer browser.

Solution: If you are accessing webmail at one of our Elementary schools, you should use Firefox or Chrome, as they have built-in spell check. 

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My new emails and replies are showing up in the reading pane instead of a new, pop-up window. How can I change that?

To change the default way your OWA creates new emails or replies, click the cog (gear) in the upper right corner and select Options. 

Select settings from the left.

In the reading pane section (on the right), choose your preference - type in the reading pane (as pictured above) or type in a new window. 

Be sure to save if you make any changes. 

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When I create a new email or try to reply to an email, I do not see the "Send" button at the top. What should I do?

We have heard from several people that the Send, Discard, Insert or Reply, Reply All, etc. buttons are not visible in the OWA. This appears to be some sort of glitch that can be "fixed" by signing out of the web app altogether, closing the web browser, and signing back in again.

What other questions do you have about OWA or other district systems? Check out this help page from Microsoft or feel free to leave a comment below or contact your Instructional Technologist.

Nanoogo

Nanoogo is an online platform used by kids to write stories, create original artwork, and express their unique talents! It is meant to be fun, but we are serious about its educational value. Teachers are using Nanoogo in many ways to enhance classroom engagement while addressing the core curriculum.

Engage your students.

Address your curriculum in a fun and engaging way: Nanoogo’s digital canvas allows students to have fun while working on assignments.
And it works!

Foster interactive learning.

Thanks to technology, your students can share their knowledge with others and learn from their classmates.

It’s so much more fun to create for friends.

Create a positive mindset in your classroom.

Nanoogo’s fun peer rewarding system keeps students engaged and motivated, and teaches them healthy positive feedback habits.

It’s free, safe and easy!

You can access a private teacher account on which you can manage as many classes as you’d like, and moderate your students’ posts. All you need is a computer and Internet connection, and you’re good to go!

Go to www.nanoogo.com and try it today!

How Do I? Back to School Edition

Welcome back to school, everyone!

The EM-S ISD Instructional Technology Department will use this blog, our monthly INNOVATE newsletters, our Facebook page, and more to share tips, tricks, and tools throughout the year.

From time to time, we will publish a general "How Do I?" post that includes several tips. Today's "Back to School" edition shares things that might be especially helpful at the beginning of the school year.

How do I? Back to School Edition

• Create desktop shortcuts?
• Set up Outlook on my computer?
• Create a new schedule in Forethought?
• Erase last year's schedule from a day in my Lesson Planner?
• Set Default Text for Entry in my Lesson Planner?

What other "quick help" topics would be helpful?  Leave a comment in the comments section or email your district Instructional Technologist!

We're Social!

If you're reading this on our blog, you already know that "we're social!", but did you know you can also get the latest EM-S ISD Instructional Technology news on Facebook and Twitter? 

LIKE us at facebook.com/emsisdits or follow us at twitter.com/emsisdits for announcements, tips, tricks, and tools that will make your life a little easier and your classroom a little more exciting. 

Microsoft software and more for less than $10!

1. Are you an EM-S ISD employee?
2. Do you like a great deal?

If you answered YES for both of these questions, you'll definitely want to check out this site. Because of our relationship with Microsoft, employees are able to purchase many different types of software at extremely discounted prices. 

You will need to register for an account (or login if you've previously registered) with your full email address and your email password.

Not sure what to buy? Check out these suggestions:

• Microsoft Office 2010 ($9.75) - this is the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook, OneNote, etc. suite that you have had on your school computers for the last couple of years.
• Microsoft Office 2013 ($9.75) - this is the latest version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. This article suggests that there's really no point to purchasing 2013 if you already have 2010 - it points out a few of the things that are different about it.
• Windows 7  ($9.75) - this is an operating system (not necessarily software). When loading this, you should back up all files on your computer - think of it like the "re-imaging" that happens to your school computer each summer. Read about Windows 7 here.
• Windows 8  ($9.75) - this is Microsoft's newest operating system. Read more about Windows 8 here. (I plan on keeping Windows 7 on my computers - Windows 8 runs great on a tablet device, but I don't really like it on a computer ... just my two cents!)

If you have additional questions or trouble with the site, etc. you will need to contact the "On the Hub" support. District personnel do not have access to troubleshoot purchases, downloads, logins/passwords, etc.

Contact information can be found here. I have used the online help request option as well as the phone support and have been pleased with both.

~Cindy

Office 365 Error Message

If you are still having trouble logging in to your Office 365 email, chances are you are encountering an error like the one pictured below:

Follow the simple steps below to be able to access your email:

• Click the link, "here," in the error message.

• If you see an Outlook login page, DO NOT LOG IN HERE. 
• Instead, enter www.outlook.com/ems-isd.net in the address bar/URL at the top of your browser window and hit Enter on your keyboard.

• You will see a new login screen. Be sure that you see the Office 365 logo in the upper left corner. If your email User ID is already on the page, click the small  X to have this page "forget" your previous login credentials. Re-enter your User ID (full email address) and email password to sign in. 

• Once you have successfully logged in to your Office 365 email account, please update your favorites/bookmarks and shortcuts.

If you still have trouble, please submit a help request through Eduphoria Helpdesk.

Adding a Bookmark and Desktop Shortcut Icon

The video below demonstrates how to create a bookmark (favorite) for the new email URL and how to create a desktop shortcut.

Signing in to Office 365 Email

Are you still having trouble signing in to your email on the web? This video will walk you through the steps.

Still having trouble? Check with your CTI or IT for help.

Still having trouble accessing your web mail?

If your internet browser has remembered your email address, you will need to force it to "forget" it the first time you sign in to Office365. There are several ways to do this, but the easiest is to click the small X by your name or click the Sign in with a different user ID link.

Enter your username (full email address) and password. Click Sign In. 

If you are getting the following error when logging in to the new address, then click the here link in the error message.

When the Outlook login page appears, you will need to re-enter the www.outlook.com/ems-isd.net address.

Be sure you see the Office365 logo in the upper left corner of the login page. Click X to re-enter your login information.

New Webmail Addresses

Our Office365 transition is underway. Use one of the following addresses to check your (web) email:

• http://www.outlook.com/ems-isd.net, or 
• http://mail.office365.com 

We will publish more information about the transition shortly.

Office 365 FAQs

Q: What is the upgrade process?

A:  When the upgrade process starts, it will prepare your space in Office365, and switch all users to the Office365 version of Exchange Online. This doesn't require moving mailboxes, message delivery is uninterrupted, and access to email, SkyDrive, Skype (Messenger), and other Microsoft services is not impacted. After the upgrade is complete, each user can sign in to their Office 365 account as well as their personal Microsoft account using the same user name and password they used in Live@edu. These two accounts are no longer associated with each other, and changes to one account will not affect the other.

Q: Will there be any down time for my users?

A:  No. Users will have access to their email, SkyDrive, Messenger, and other Microsoft services throughout the process.

Q: What's the link to the Outlook Web App (OWA) after the upgrade?

A:  After your institution has been upgraded, your users can continue to sign in to OWA at http://www.outlook.com/ems-isd.net or at http://mail.office365.com .

Q:  Do you know your current email password?

A:  If answer is NO - Use https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx to reset the password

Bookmark these addresses —

Outlook Web App for email and calendar access: http://www.outlook.com/ems-isd.net

SkyDrive and Messenger: http://skydrive.com

Office 365: Two Accounts

EM-S ISD is getting ready to transition to Office 365. This quick video explains the differences in the two user accounts we will all have after the transition.

(If you have trouble viewing this video in Chrome, please try Internet Explorer or Firefox.)

Security Questions for Your LIVE account

Update: These directions have been updated (2/20/13) to make it easier to access the password information options. All EM-S ISD users should complete this process prior to the transition to Office365.

In anticipation of our upcoming transition to Office365, it is important that all EM-S ISD users know their Live passwords. After our transition, EM-S ISD will no longer have access to these user accounts and will not be able to reset your passwords. Setting up a security question will be helpful in the event that you lose or forget your password in the future.

Sign in to live.com with your full email address and password. If you have it set to automatically log you in without entering a password, please sign out and sign back in again to verify that you DO know your password. 

From the upper right corner of the screen, click Options > See All Options...






You will see a list of common shortcuts on the right side of the screen. Click the Change Your Password link. (You won't necessarily need to change your password, but this option will allow you to set up security questions/answers.)

If you are asked to re-enter your current password, please do so.


On the Account Summary page, click the "Edit security info" link under the Password and security info section. Adding a phone number and alternate email address is optional, but it does give another option if you ever need help getting back into this account. (Personally, I have not added a phone number, but I did add a personal email address.)

Under Security question, click Change. Choose your desired question and enter an answer that you will remember.

When finished, be sure to Save.

EM-S ISD is Upgrading to OFFICE365

Now you can save time and get more done with Microsoft^®Office 365 for education— the email, web, and collaboration service. Offered as a free upgrade to Live@edu, Office 365 empowers you by delivering the tools you need to prepare coursework, create sophisticated reports and presentations, and collaborate over the web.

According to Microsoft, the total migration time will be about two days with downtime for each individual user lasting about an hour.

It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you know your LIVE@Edu password prior to Feb 21, 2012.  If you forgot or need to reset your password follow the instructions in #2 below.

With Office 365, you will now have two different accounts:

1.       Office 365 - Email. You’ll continue to use Microsoft Outlook Web App or Microsoft Outlook to view and send email from your school account, but you’ll sign in athttp://outlook.com/ems-isd.net —using the same user name and create a new password. Please note: In Office 365 you won’t see our logo but Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD still administers this account.

·         Create a new password by signing in to https://eduupgrade.office365.com and follow the directions.

·         Once you have the password, access your email at this location: http://outlook.com/ems-isd.net .

·         Change your email password in any email apps (including Outlook) you use on your computer, tablet, or mobile phone to match your new Office 365 password.

·         Bookmark this address—Outlook Web App for email and calendar access: http://www.outlook.com/ems-isd.net  

2.       Personal Microsoft account. This personal account will give you access to all existing SkyDrive content, Messenger, and other Microsoft services. You’ll use the same user name and password to access this account that you do today to access Live@edu. Note that EM-S ISD no longer administers this account. As a result, we can’t reset its password for you. . Use https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx to reset the password for your personal account.

·         Sign in to SkyDrive using your existing Live@edu user name and password

·         Bookmark this address: SkyDrive and Messenger: http://skydrive.com.

For additional information  - EMSISD LIVE - OFFICE365